Mahindra sets MotoGP™ as long-term goal

Mahindra boasts a new-look team as the Indian manufacturer prepares for a competitive Moto3™ season in 2012. With MotoGP™ the eventual target, both Miguel Oliveira and Efren Vazquez fully understand the challenge at hand.

Stemming from Mumbai and one arm of the Mahindra Group, the Moto3 squad aims for a strong season to further boost India on the motorsport map.

“Even from the first test we could see that the bike has a lot of potential,” Portugal’s Oliveira explains in an off-season feature on motogp.com “We are working really hard to get the results that we want. There’s still a long way to go to reach the front guys, but the gap is no longer as big as it was.”

“We have believed in this project from the very beginning and have worked a lot over the winter,” Spaniard Vazquez adds. “When we got to the first test in Valencia, we saw that this was a good bike with a good engine. We should be able to enjoy some good results this season.”

With the parent company setting significant goals for the future, Team Manager Massimo Biagini is confident that the first strong steps can be taken in 2013.

“First of all, the project is to show people that we are competitive,” the Italian begins. “Of course the target is to win races, but it may take a little bit of time to do that. We still have a look way to go, but that only gives us motivation to do better. It’s a long, long project. For the moment we want to be competitive and show our potential in Moto3, but Mahindra wants to move to Moto2 if we can show we are competitive.”

Furthermore, Biagini has great confidence in his race combination:

“Everybody knows the value of our riders. They have both shown in the past that they are very good and that they can win races; that’s great motivation for us to build the best bike possible in order to put these two riders in a position to win races.”

Equally, Oliveira admits that mistakes can be cut down.

“At the first few races last year, I wanted to show off a bit,” the 18-year-old from Almada confesses. “Now, with this new bike, I think we need to work step-by-step, going only forward and not making any mistakes. I think I’m in a good position to be able to fight for the top three.”

“Our aim is to move to Moto2 and then MotoGP in the future, so first we have to show our potential in Moto3,” team head Biagini concludes.

Mahindra’s 2013 challenge begins in floodlit Qatar on the night of 7 April.